In the early 2000's there was also a new generation of WW2 media with "Saving Private Ryan", "Band of Brothers", "The Thin Red Line" etc. There was a shift from Vietnam movies to WW2.
@@sasquatchhunter86 i recently bought almost all the MOH games for ps2 super cheap and they are some of my favorite shooters, beats every COD game hands down IMO.
I think the sudden jump in cost for milsurps really began when Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers came out, M1 Garands and K98ks doubled overnight in the late 90's and early 00's. 2012 was the final nail in the coffin, though, that's when the last of the affordable milsurps sorta cease to exist as it was. In the 80's, you could buy a mint unissued and matching K98k for $65. With 70-95% bluing left too. Now you can't touch neither rifle in good shape for under $1200-1500 now. Yeah, you can find them for cheaper, but expect them to not look pretty.
Marcus Wagner there also famous for selling there m1 and saying this was my fathers rifle when he stormed the beaches seriously like the number of rifles dad/grandfather bought home u would think there was next to zero rifles left in u.s service after the war
They are definitely a rip-off... As you try to check out, unlike ethical sellers like Aim Surplus, they seek to extort you for an additional $25 to ensure you are not getting a piece of worn-out crap that is not even suited for parts.
@@LESPAUL44mag Theirs are CHINESE SKS's. If you read the procedure for checking out your new Chinese SKS, you first test it to see if it goes battery on you. I have had friends where that actually happened,and then you are stuck with putting more money into a piece of junk to get it right.
I feel like you should have a whole video dedicated to stories of the crazy shit that went down during those periods of panic buying. Sounds like a crazy time!
Mike you were lucky enough to be born well before the time that the prices went up, I turnd 18 in 2020 and have had no chance to buy cheap surplus. Keep that fact in mind
@@zacharycavener4695 the only problem is that a lot of pawn shops are wising up and marking the prices on any Milsurps that come in, WAY up. Even chopped up sporterized ones.
Kinda weird hearing you say "man I remember when I was 14 turkish mausers were like 40 bucks" and now I say "man I remember when I was 14 Mosins were like 100 bucks". I wish I was able to get into surplus earlier. :(
... Lugers were $34 during the 60's.. Some" exotic" ones like the Portugese and Persian( lranian) models were $50.. which some shooters did not find worth the extra $16.. One prominent gunmagazine authority recalled he was offered $200 for his 2-mint condition Navy model Lugers with the swastikas, still in cosmoline preservative.. He said yes with out batting and eyelash..to which he says now he regrets till his dying day
I saw a Mosin that had matching serial numbers, it's original scope and sling for $85 when I was a teen. I heard the guys who owned the shop talking to some other customer and they were saying they had the full kit for it. Had the money and begged my dad to get it, even had the money with me to pay him back, but he told me I didn't need a rifle like that and I should just wait. Curse being too young to buy things when they were cheap!
I’m not going to lie Battlefield1 was the main reason I got into surplus fire arms, I was fascinated with the straight bolt, iron sights, and the 5 round clips. I think there awesome
@@Cloudstrife112233 BF 1 was the reason I blew a ton of money on a WW1 British tank officer's cap. I have great memories of the Through Mud and Blood campaign.
I was so happy the other day when I found a Mosin on gun broker for $115. Had not seen that price tag on a Mosin in so long. I bought it looks like a nice m44.
Better to panic on the dock about too few life boats than panic after your ship has hit an iceberg. That said, the people panic buying toilet paper literally need to be drug out and dumped on a deserted iceberg themselves.
@Isaac Woolley I don't find that to be true, at least here in Texas. Demand seems to be going up, I expect it to go even higher as the election ramps up.
Nice breakdown Mike. If anything can be learned here, the gun community is usually it's worst enemy, like it was 2008 and onward. A lot of the sticker prices I see on rifles were merely copied and pasted from gunbroker as a feeler gauge to see what they can get, I usually call bullshit and toss a more favorable number. It doesn't always work, but I sometimes get the gun for a lower price because the seller likes money more than sitting on inventory. I've done this maybe 2 or 3 times on gunbroker as well, though that's super risky so I rarely attempt it. As far as imports, there is a slim chance that we could see one final round from Africa and maybe the middle east now that the wars are mostly over and LOGCAP is basically dying. I STILL think it's a good idea to get into the parts kit game while supplies last, which is what I've been trying to do since I literally missed the entire surplus firearms boat. You can buy the components, sit on them when you get the skills to build them, and when you do get around to it; you got a pretty cool piece. That's how I got my Uzi carbine and combloc AKs. I fucking built them.
I got into surplus firearms in the end of 2013 when my grandpa gave me a sporterized Lee Enfield no1 mk3. He told me he tried to hunt with it but couldn't see the sights good enough and he just put it up for years. I took the Enfield out for deer season and dropped a small buck with it later in 2014 i was the first in the family to drop a deer with that rifle very special moment. I been getting surplus firearms here and there if the prices are right. Still seeing good deals out there but its going to get harder over time and when it gets to that point i will move to modern lever rifles and stuff. Not a fan of modern bolt action rifles but love the lever rifles still got that classic western look and feel. I might get a few modern 1911's as well good handguns. I love surplus firearms but they are not worth what most people are asking. The U.S is flooded with them and i hear that gunshows are still flooded with them but asking nasty prices THEY CAN KEEP EM. I been wanting a M1 for years but seeing people asking $1000 or $1200 just for a shooter grade is not worth it. i notice that the M1A is at the same price if not a little cheaper than the M1 Garand. I might get the M1A down the line instead its a better gun for that kind of money. The M1A is basically the M1 but better. I also notice that some people are asking high prices for fair condition rifles and sporterized rifles i guess CONDITION IS KING is not a thing anymore for surplus firearms. Like your videos good stuff.
You miss a key point regarding the historic price of milsurps. Ammo! In the dark ages, before the internet, 'foreign' ammo was hard to find and expensive. Having a firearm that was difficult or expensive to feed made it less desirable. Less desirable meant less expensive.
I know this will sound foolish but it's something I would like to see. Making these popular classics but with modern technology and modern calibers. I was so excited when cricket made that Mosin in 22. Unfortunately it was single shot. And modern M1 carbines have been selling. But imagine a 7.62 x 39 Mosin, or a 5.56 Enfield.
Eh no! Reproduction classics should be made as accurate as possible to the originals. But no one will really do repros cause it's expensive to make em and you can buy originals for cheaper.
Wont ever happen as the production techniques are no longer used, if it can't be 100% CNC'D u.s manufacturers either can't or won't produce it correctly. See the saga of bad American aks that is still going on
Another factor (I think you alluded to it in a previous video) is all of the very influential social media folks that talk about/promote surplus firearms. These are people who now have hundreds of thousands if not millions of followers and certainly change minds and have an influence. For instance, long ago as a teenager that was just getting interested in historic firearms, I thought Carcanos were garbage because my friend’s grandpa had one and he said it was so awful you’re better off throwing it an enemy rather than firing it. I probably would’ve gone on believing that if it weren’t for all the Ians and Othiases pointing out that Carcanos are actually pretty great.
My first ever firearm was at 20(last year) and was a yugo m48 for $500. Where do you guys go for more of these milsurps? I went through j&g sales but ive heard stories of people getting burned by spending outrageous money to get cracked stocks, canted sights, cosmoline covered turds. Anybody know good reliable sites to get them cheap and of good quality.
If they're cosmoline-covered, that usually means they're fresh out of storage and haven't been owned by half a dozen bubbas and range ninjas putting them away dirty after shooting corrosive ammo. I just stop by all the local stores occasionally, especially ones that sell stuff on consignment, and always bring a flashlight.
I quit buying milsurp almost two years ago. Cant find ammo for them, cant order ammo online (live in a US territory overseas, so cant get ammo thru mail) or reload (almost impossible to get powder, and local explosives law makes it more difficult). So, I started buying C&R guns, like Winchester, Ithaca, Savage, etc. I use them for hunting, and ammo is easy to find. Just yesterday, I received another Winchester Model 12. Although, I've seen the value going up in those shotguns too. Last two months being more specific. A few months ago, I could buy a neat Winchester shotgun for under 200. Now its difficult to get one under 300.
Man I remember buying my first 91/30 at a small gun store in Indianapolis with the taxes included and it was $109 back in 2008. I also got an m-44 carbine from my uncle as a graduation present with all the accessories as well and he only paid $93 for it. And you got all the accessories the bayonet, sling, pouch, oiler, and the bolt takedown tool. I then bought a 440 round tin of ammo for $80. Original stripper clips for 25 cents as well. Now at gun shows they're asking $325 for the average one with no accessories, $30 for a bayonet, $30 for sling, $30 for the pouch with the goodies, $5 for stripper clips, and over $250 for the spam cans. So with all that you're almost paying $700 now! I remember you can get Lee enfields rifles for $200, the Nagant pistols for $89, M95 carbines for $109, Russian capture k98k rifles for $300-$400, correct grade M1 rifles from the CMP $999. Those were the days.
I'm 57, but I didn't even get into firearms at ALL until 2017, and milsurps until 2018. I have quite a few, but getting into the game this late means there are some I'll NEVER be able to afford...or even justify spending that much for.
What's your opinion on the Japanese Arisaka? The gun dealer near me has a shit ton of them, and they have a deal with a local ammo manufacturer that makes ammo specifically for it.
I remember well the Ammopocalypse. Used to be on the way to the range I could pick up a box of Remington 550 rounds for $25. At one point the Ammopocalypse got so bad that the only way to get plinking ammo was for me and a group of friends to go splitsies on a pallet of like 25,000 rounds direct from a manufacturer. I really wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the gun control politicians actually have a lot of stock in the firearms industry. "Hmmm muh bank account's looking a little thin again better start talking assault weapon laws."
Hi Mike, actually watched the whole video, agree with a lot of the points you made and find it a shame I had to buy my mosin for 300 dollars and watched the type 38 I was looking at from the same shop jump another 50 bucks (450 total) because people started panic buying because of covid.
@Kasey Turchin Do you mean 91/30? 91 is an original uncut one, about 52 inches compared to about 48 inches for a 91/30. Much more rare. Also how could you have "almost all matching serial numbers"? I've only ever seen numbers on the receiver and on the bolt, that either match or don't. They're not like some Mausers or a Vetterli where literally every screw has a partial serial number on it.
Hey mike well I started collecting surplus a year ago because my neighbor got me into it ,telling me about the history behind the firearms which I love because I am a history nut, for the most part here in Illinois surplus is kinda a hit or miss either it’s a good price or too damn high not really an inbetween at least in my experience, I found k31s for 300, a Mosin that I bought was 150, shit I even saw a norinco 9mm clone for 100 once, but I have also seen stupid high prices also.
Like yeah, BF1 wasn't realistic, it had to sacrifice realism for gameplay, but was done in a good way (unlike BF5 lol), but BF1 kept the atmosphere and ambience of WW1, good vid tho
I'm lucky enough to have some military surplus guns handed down to me and one of them is a German kar98, Also I remember seeing a rack of mosin nagants running up for 100 bucks at my local big 5 back in 2011 early 2012 and when sandy hook and the whole "Obama is gonna take our guns" happened I never saw the rack of mosins again because they where bought up along with the tacticool guns on the rack as well
I wish Surplus was still cheaper I would love to collect some of it. I occasionally look at it and seems the guns I do become interested in are chambered in something weird and uncommon. I would love to have a Winchester M1907 but it's in 351 and that ammo seems to be hard to find.
I got a k98 ten years ago from a shop for 300 bucks. Russian capture but it’s a wz29/40 polish Radom receiver finished at the Steyr factory when Germany invaded Poland. Lord knows what it goes for today even as an RC
Mainly I would have to say supply and demand, and then you have some artificially inflating the market, culture is changing where as some video games have contributed towards renewed interest in these surplus weapons. I try to stick to $500 or less purchases, and have served me well, unfortunately that keeps me out of the American surplus weapons market.
Very informative video as per usual. You have an interesting take on your opinions and as I do marketing and such I’d have to agree with you. I just started getting into surplus weaponry a few weeks ago but I’ve also been interested in them. Thanks for the video and explanation! I look forward to haggling with people lol
I'm interested to see the future of the swiss k31 k11 etc just based off the dwindling availability of 7.5x55 ammo. I know PPU is out there and gp11 comes in sometimes... but within the past few months I saw ammo go from 70cents to 1.40 to unavailable lol yes I know gp11 is on edleswiss or whatever
Yeah, I think you hit it about right on the nose here, especially about 2012. I'd started watching the market a year earlier, and continued to do so until I was 17 and getting my first milsurp, an SMLE. But by then, and especially by when I turned 18 in 2018, I realized the market was dead. Deals can still be had, I got an 80 dollar Mosin in '18, a 60 dollar sporterized Lebel in '19, and a 200 dollar Colt Walker or period iron frame copy just the other day, but it's just not the same. As others have stated though, there still might be hope in Africa and the Middle East for surplus imports. Your thoughts on that?
You guys have it nice, in OZ my K31cost me $928 USD including the permit to buy it. I bought it that night, the other K31 that store had come in in the same time was also gone the day after I bought mine. My Finish Mosin Cost $705 USD. Can't imagine how much you guys would cry if you had to pay our prices.
I went out and purchased my SKS ans Mosin partly due to rising storm 1/2 and red orchestra 2. I have always been fascinated by mil sur since I can remember, fond memeroies of touring battlefields and museums in Germany and czechia with my dad
People panic buy because they are afraid if they wait they will not be able to get what they want or the price of what they want will go up significantly. I didn’t buy 12 ga trap ammo ($6.99 for 25 shells) at the start of the pandemic because I had some and it seemed to be in stock. It now goes for $15.99 when I can find it and mostly can’t. I am not recommending hoarding but if you want an AR or AK and you wait until restrictions are passed or even proposed the price is likely to skyrocket assuming there are any left on in stock.
As recently as 2 years ago I could still find a decent #4 or #3 Enfield for $200-250. Now $400 and up is the norm. Same goes for Mosin Nagants though the basic 91/30 can still be found for $300
We are long past the era of significant historical military surplus inventory being put on the market. Modern "surplus" is not importable into the U.S.
The barrel ban really fucked us on good parts kits, now because it's cheaper to dump old select fire guns into the ocean than demil them to the alphabet agencies autistic specifications, European and Asian countries do just that, we went from saw cut receivers to reciver parts not even being present along with barrels being torched all because bush jr didn't want cheap "machine gun" parts on the market
slav phil not to mention the retarded bans on specific guns. The Bushes were absolutely atrocious on this, like banning the FAL by name. Neocon bastards
I have always been around firearms because of my dad , learned to deer hunt at a early age . So in my early years I did buy a Tech9 & a Sks before the first assault weapons ban . Though I did have a chance to buy a Ljungman , at a good price ,way back then , I now wish I had done do . What really started me looking at milsurp rifles was my Mitchell Mauser 8 mm rifle I bought . As you said the internet / You-tube has given me a lot of access & info into the milsurp world . I really like the look of these rifles , learning he history of them & possibly where they were used . Do I have all I want , no , but have to save money to buy the next one , I try to have a cost limit on what I am willing to pay
If anything I think it’s a good thing. Because of video games like battlefield one it made the younger generation interested in firearms and more appreciative of their historic value. If anything this works in favor for people that already got their collection together before the prices skyrocketed. Now they could re sell them and make a profit.
I always wanted to get into collecting in the 90's and 2000's, but I was paycheck to paycheck, working shitty jobs. I finally came into a decent job where I payed off my debts in 2013. By the time I started to have a surplus of income, it was 2015. I have a decent collection now. My collection would be 3-4 times what I have if I could have started back in the fabled "golden years".
Mosin nagant is like 400 cad nowadays and a mossberg patriot predicator is 500 cad. 98k is 1k cad and kel tec rdb is like 1k cad. Now it is hard to justify buying surplus in Canada
I like having mil-surp guns in odd calibers. It's easy to get ammo when everyone is panic buying all the common calibers. This year's panic buying was the worst I've seen and I could still get everything I needed.
@@MikeB128 I was in college at the time, and didn't own any guns, so I didn't notice. I bought my first gun in 2017, but I did cowboy action shooting during my childhood. We reloaded 45 LC so we had enough supplies.
Well it happened in the 80’s, post Dirty Harry those wheel guns were in high demand, difference like you pointed out is, surplus isn’t rolling off the assembly line anymore. Since the source of those WW2 weapons has dried up I guess we should focus on new surplus (if that exists) stuff that modernizing military and civilian police forces are cycling out of use.
Mike B But do you see people quitting paying those prices any time soon? I don’t. I agree with you but I think it’ll never happen. All that will happen is a select few number of people will refuse to pay high prices but it won’t be enough to matter. Then those people who stopped paying high prices will never see prices go down and in the end have to pay more than if they would of just went ahead and bought the gun while they had the chance. Like you said, the glory days of milsurps are over and they probably will never be back.
One thing that I've noticed is that milenials and gen z like to collect "retro" stuff. We all went over to Grandma's house and watched Antiques Road Show, and now it's instilled in our brains.
I bought my first Kar98k because of PUBG a couple years ago. That has sparked a love of milsurps. I only own a few, but man, it is damn fun to learn history, development and variations of these weapons. Just purchased a No4 and No1 enfield this past week too. I have grown to appreciate these relics. Increasing prices are frustrating, but definitely makes the researching and saving part of things much more fun. Fewer impulse buys when you research and know what you want.
The first mil-surp weapon I ever wanted to buy as I was in school was an SKS, not from any movie or video game but because my stepdad was going through his gun safe to clean his rifles and I got to hold it To me it just looked cool as shit and I wanted on, now I own a nerinco paratrooper model
Probably not the more obscure ones, I was shocked and happy when hornady started selling brass cased 5.45x39mm even though cheap steel imported ammo for it is everywhere
I want to get an AR because they're cheap now but I live in commiefornia and it'd hurt my soul every time I looked at that neutered FUBAR, might get a Browning A5 if I find one for cheap, thanks for the video, helps me get an idea of the market
Families may be able to research stuff but then there will always be my buddy who bought a G-43 without a mag for 200 bucks like a year ago because he "didn't believe in having guns in the house"
I don’t own any more surplus arms for this reason. Ammo, parts, and just about any Mauser related shot up so much in price to the point I couldn’t afford it anymore. Now I mostly own shotguns because I can still find parts for the shotguns I like and they’re still fun..................well for now.
It was worse. I actually had to drop out of the shooting hobby because I couldn't find ammo. No powder, primers, you couldn't even find 22LR. The last few months, I've still been able to find everything I needed other than 12g buck shot. Possibly because stores have set limits, but those limits have been reasonable for the casual shooter, self defense owner, and basically everybody who isn't trying to fill up their boogaloo bunker.
4:53 - I have an alternate take. While I don't disagree with what you said, Obama had enough political capital that he could have gutted the 2A, but whatever else you want to say about him, Obama understood that he only had so much "stroke" and he opted to pursue other agendas. No one knew this at the time however. I don't like panic buying either, but I don't think it's fair to blame lifelong gun owners. I didn't buy very much in 2008-2013 at all, I bought three guns that whole time, all revolvers and two were single action. I think most of the panic buyers were prospective gun owners who thought that might be their last chance. I bought a lot of "tactical" shit... in 2019. I did it because I realized the market was at a historic low and it was the time to buy AR-15s, Glock magazines, etc. I went hard and bought things I'd been wanting to get for like 10 years. Here in 2020 I'm feeling pretty smug. I have bought stuff this year but it was mostly deeply discounted accessories and when I find decent ammo prices in the midst of an unfriendly market. I did get an Extar EP-9 this year, but that's just because I finally got the opportunity!
Mike B true, but he does have a decent amount of influence in establishing a party platform and molding policy agenda. However i think the point you made about a lot of people being mad about sandy hook was where some of the real scare came from. Sandy hook was the beginning of a new era in my opinion, and it was all still pretty new to everyone at the time. (Less columbine and v tech) There was enough pressure on the legislature that im sure some people thought that a gun control bill could have garnered bipartisan support. But then again, this is all speculation. It was a weird time.
When I can buy modern firearms at the same price or cheaper and in better condition, then the mil-surp scene to me is over. It is a collector thing now and that's ok.
Because people are realizing the quality of gunsmiths has declined substantially and are tired of paying $1500 for say an M1A and it turns out to be garbage They dont make em like they used to
@@residentevil5fan18 it's a cast receiver replica of a m14 which already had tons of other problems get a ptr or a reputable ar-10 for a decent .308 semi auto
I disagree in your set price idea. You just state it as if it is fact without giving sound logic to support it, you say it is set because it is set. All the Boomers will not die at the same time would be a better reason, but still is not sufficient to keep prices set. Futher more prices are never set. As you said Mosins were $65 then jumped up and have declined a bit now. They will not be $65 again but are unlikely to be $500 either. It is an Ok, but rather crude rifle of great supply and little use as compared to modern bolt actions.
@@MikeB128 I am just saying that prices do fluctuate, guns that are lesser quality and were made by the millions may settle to a a much lower price than it had been bid up to at one point. There is no set price, the price is what ever someone is willing to pay. You do make a lot of good points.
Mike I talk to my uncle all the time and he tells me I missed the golden age of gunshows. Now looking online, even websites like AIM surplus or RTI don’t really have the best collection of anything. Finding good surplus is hard, and hunting for deals is really time consuming. Hoping to add some more German and Russian surplus to my collection, but everything German is so goddamn expensive because of people who associate everything German is nazi. I can’t stand people like that
I hate being born after 2000, I fucking missed the best era of the hobby, I love the history of the guns. It pisses me off that I just missed it. Guess I should get another hobby.
SKS's were 90 dollars a piece but you had to buy 10 of them in the 1990s. Wished I had bought them then. If you do own one of these or several and you are collector. Get a couple of parts kits and a good amount of ammo and store it properly. In twenty or so years most of these weapons will be close to 100 years old. Each day they will get rarer and rarer. As they do the price will go up. Firearms are one of the few things that consistently increase in value. Even if the ammo goes bad. The brass will be worth quite a bit. Many things that were made a 100 years ago the brass is no longer available. Look at how much trouble people go through to get discontinued brass.
This gave me an idea, you should do a video on the subject of movies that caused firearms to have cult followings. Like the movie True Lies with the Ruger P90.
Anyone who thinks video games don’t inspire collectors is lying to themselves. Video games are a very wide reaching medium and they inspire people of all kinds to get into all varieties of hobbies. I can attest to the fact that my first firearm was a Mosin Nagant M44 specifically because I loved using one in COD as a child. My first handgun was a VZ.61 for the exact same reason. I’ve moved beyond that motivating factor now, but it was a large contributor to my entrance into the firearms community and still has minor influences; I just recently purchased a C96 Mauser in 9mm due to the nostalgia.
I remember when mosin nagants were $87.00 in 2011. The gun crisis was a serious thing considering we are the only country that has these wonderful rights.
Thank God I got my Mosin cheap, and inherited the expensive Springfield! No excuse for that rifle to be a 1000 dollar rifle. There are oddballs on the market though that are untouched, like the Spanish Mauser M1916. Those can be had for 200 bucks in great condition still.
It is what it is. I've had a potty mouth since I was a kid, and I make 100% sure that TH-cam can't construe my videos as being "made for kids" so I don't get fined.
@@MikeB128 I hadn't considered the "made for kids" angle, and the way I talk would easily make any sailor blush (I blame the Army and my stint in the music business for that). As for the speed of your banter, I was only considering the many folks for whom English is not their native language that try to watch your videos but get lost due to your rapid-fire approach.
@@DennisKroh So far I don't believe it's been a problem for non-native speakers, or at least they haven't expressed that it's too fast. If I talk slower, people will bitch that the video is too long and boring, I just can't win lol.
@@MikeB128 Actually this video was brought to my attention by a customer originally from Germany, and he was asking for a translation. ;) Is it possible you could add close-captioning? Just spit-balling here, I agree with your messages. I have had a C&R license since 1972 and have seen a MASSIVE change in the milsurp marketplace since then. I am ABSOLUTELY NOT in favor of higher prices, as that simply means I have to pay more to acquire material to offer to our customers. Of course we sell individually-described items (rather than the "grab one off the pile" attitude of most of our colleagues) and our grading is considered conservative (the item received is ALWAYS better than described). We also have close to ZERO returns or complaints, despite the tendency to bitch about everything these days. 99.5% of everything we buy nowadays is from long-time collectors, and estates of same (nobody wants to think they are not going to wake up one day) so we routinely acquire and offer for sale items that have not been available in the marketplace for many years. I considered retiring (for the third time) five years ago, but my new wife Deborah wants us to keep doing this until I don't wake up one of these days, so that is where we are at.
@@DennisKroh Interesting. And yeah, I got one of my prized possessions form you. It was that 1886/93 that someone marred the shit out of the barrel trying to get it off. I also recommend you whenever I can, but TH-cam removed those videos because they're morons. Glad I've got another lurker. Feel free to advertise and direct people to your site on the comments. I've known about you for a long time and have never heard complaints against Empire Arms. You don't gouge, and you're honest so yeah, it sucks with the current state of surplus, but at least there are still cool things popping up every now and then.
In the early 2000's there was also a new generation of WW2 media with "Saving Private Ryan", "Band of Brothers", "The Thin Red Line" etc. There was a shift from Vietnam movies to WW2.
There were also a lot of WW2 video games coming out.
Just before that you had the Medal of Honor games. It really took off with COD 2 in the mid 2000’s.
@@sasquatchhunter86 i recently bought almost all the MOH games for ps2 super cheap and they are some of my favorite shooters, beats every COD game hands down IMO.
I think the sudden jump in cost for milsurps really began when Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers came out, M1 Garands and K98ks doubled overnight in the late 90's and early 00's.
2012 was the final nail in the coffin, though, that's when the last of the affordable milsurps sorta cease to exist as it was.
In the 80's, you could buy a mint unissued and matching K98k for $65. With 70-95% bluing left too.
Now you can't touch neither rifle in good shape for under $1200-1500 now. Yeah, you can find them for cheaper, but expect them to not look pretty.
Boomer fudds: “Sonny boy, this was Rommel’s K98k. $1200, I know what I got.”
@@musicmasters314 boomers did collect alot of german guns though, and made shit up about them like the "black widow" p38s
Music Masters I did, thank you. They’re not solely responsible. I’m just repeating stuff I’ve been told by these vfw gangsters.
"$100??! I'm sorry , this was HITLER'S canoe! I'm not selling!" - Cotton Hill
@@gabriellindig Goddamn it I wanted to make that reference.
Marcus Wagner there also famous for selling there m1 and saying this was my fathers rifle when he stormed the beaches seriously like the number of rifles dad/grandfather bought home u would think there was next to zero rifles left in u.s service after the war
My theory us kids who grew up playing cod and battlefield are turning 21 so we can buy what we want now
James Harbourt I literally own an M44, a VZ.61 and a C96 all because of the nostalgia of using them in games as a kid. Your theory checks out.
I grew up playing cod and medal of honor and I have 12 milsurps in my collection and I'm 16
Or 18
That’s me man, I bought an sks this week after leveling it up in MW. Been wanting one for a while but cod pushed me over the edge
Coulda bought it 3 years ago
meanwhile people continue to buy out overpriced shit from Classic Firearms
Where can you get a cheaper SKS? Aren’t they selling them for like 300?
@@LESPAUL44mag Once and awhile they have deals but overall they have overpriced stuff.
It's funny because years ago, Classic Firearms USED to be a decent place but then new management took and the rest is history.
They are definitely a rip-off...
As you try to check out, unlike ethical sellers like Aim Surplus, they seek to extort you for an additional $25 to ensure you are not getting a piece of worn-out crap that is not even suited for parts.
@@LESPAUL44mag Theirs are CHINESE SKS's.
If you read the procedure for checking out your new Chinese SKS, you first test it to see if it goes battery on you. I have had friends where that actually happened,and then you are stuck with putting more money into a piece of junk to get it right.
I went to Cabela's on Monday and noped right out when I saw K31's going for $730.00 to $800.00
Cabela's is rip off.
Cabela's is one of the worst offenders
I feel like you should have a whole video dedicated to stories of the crazy shit that went down during those periods of panic buying. Sounds like a crazy time!
“Once upon a 2012-14, you couldn’t buy .22. The end”
*zoomer gun owner audience collectively shit pants*
@@evilassaultweaponeer Lol
Mike you were lucky enough to be born well before the time that the prices went up, I turnd 18 in 2020 and have had no chance to buy cheap surplus. Keep that fact in mind
Yeah, I'm aware, which is why I said it in the video that you obviously didn't watch before commenting :)
@Isaac Woolley I agree. Go to pawn shops or look on armslist. Don't just buy a rusty hunk of shit from classic for four times what it is worth
Andrew von Das Reich I just got into reenacting in 2018. The weapons are ridiculously expensive now.
Isaac Woolley got me a Turk Mauser 240$ not to shabby best money I ever spent lol
@@zacharycavener4695 the only problem is that a lot of pawn shops are wising up and marking the prices on any Milsurps that come in, WAY up. Even chopped up sporterized ones.
Kinda weird hearing you say "man I remember when I was 14 turkish mausers were like 40 bucks" and now I say "man I remember when I was 14 Mosins were like 100 bucks". I wish I was able to get into surplus earlier. :(
... Lugers were $34 during the 60's..
Some" exotic" ones like the Portugese and Persian( lranian) models were $50.. which some shooters did not find worth the extra $16..
One prominent gunmagazine authority recalled he was offered $200 for his 2-mint condition Navy model Lugers with the swastikas, still in cosmoline preservative..
He said yes with out batting and eyelash..to which he says now he regrets till his dying day
I saw a Mosin that had matching serial numbers, it's original scope and sling for $85 when I was a teen. I heard the guys who owned the shop talking to some other customer and they were saying they had the full kit for it. Had the money and begged my dad to get it, even had the money with me to pay him back, but he told me I didn't need a rifle like that and I should just wait. Curse being too young to buy things when they were cheap!
WW1 stuff also went up in price when the centennial happened.
I’m not going to lie Battlefield1 was the main reason I got into surplus fire arms, I was fascinated with the straight bolt, iron sights, and the 5 round clips. I think there awesome
Yeah, Battlefield 1 influenced my purchase of one rifle as well.
Deadrift89 what kind of rifle if I may ask
@Xray Paul Mosin Nagant 91/30s were $70-80 back in 2011, the Carbines were $100-130. It was dirt cheap.
@@Cloudstrife112233 BF 1 was the reason I blew a ton of money on a WW1 British tank officer's cap. I have great memories of the Through Mud and Blood campaign.
I was so happy the other day when I found a Mosin on gun broker for $115. Had not seen that price tag on a Mosin in so long. I bought it looks like a nice m44.
a gun on gunbroker that was cheap?!?! impossible
Probably had 4 days left to bid on. Lol I do double takes all the time on that site then realise thats nowhere near what said gun is going to sell at.
Better to panic on the dock about too few life boats than panic after your ship has hit an iceberg. That said, the people panic buying toilet paper literally need to be drug out and dumped on a deserted iceberg themselves.
The Mosin Crate agreed excellent comment
Now that milsurps are like as high as ARs I haven't been buying.
You can find a different sucker to pay those prices
Different sucker? Lol so you're still a sucker. Just not his sucker ;)
@Isaac Woolley I don't find that to be true, at least here in Texas. Demand seems to be going up, I expect it to go even higher as the election ramps up.
Sucker prices? The supply is not endless. There are no great stockpiles left. The good stuff is long gone.
buy ARs
Nice breakdown Mike. If anything can be learned here, the gun community is usually it's worst enemy, like it was 2008 and onward. A lot of the sticker prices I see on rifles were merely copied and pasted from gunbroker as a feeler gauge to see what they can get, I usually call bullshit and toss a more favorable number. It doesn't always work, but I sometimes get the gun for a lower price because the seller likes money more than sitting on inventory. I've done this maybe 2 or 3 times on gunbroker as well, though that's super risky so I rarely attempt it. As far as imports, there is a slim chance that we could see one final round from Africa and maybe the middle east now that the wars are mostly over and LOGCAP is basically dying.
I STILL think it's a good idea to get into the parts kit game while supplies last, which is what I've been trying to do since I literally missed the entire surplus firearms boat. You can buy the components, sit on them when you get the skills to build them, and when you do get around to it; you got a pretty cool piece. That's how I got my Uzi carbine and combloc AKs. I fucking built them.
I got into surplus firearms in the end of 2013 when my grandpa gave me a sporterized Lee Enfield no1 mk3. He told me he tried to hunt with it but couldn't see the sights good enough and he just put it up for years. I took the Enfield out for deer season and dropped a small buck with it later in 2014 i was the first in the family to drop a deer with that rifle very special moment. I been getting surplus firearms here and there if the prices are right. Still seeing good deals out there but its going to get harder over time and when it gets to that point i will move to modern lever rifles and stuff. Not a fan of modern bolt action rifles but love the lever rifles still got that classic western look and feel. I might get a few modern 1911's as well good handguns. I love surplus firearms but they are not worth what most people are asking. The U.S is flooded with them and i hear that gunshows are still flooded with them but asking nasty prices THEY CAN KEEP EM. I been wanting a M1 for years but seeing people asking $1000 or $1200 just for a shooter grade is not worth it. i notice that the M1A is at the same price if not a little cheaper than the M1 Garand. I might get the M1A down the line instead its a better gun for that kind of money. The M1A is basically the M1 but better. I also notice that some people are asking high prices for fair condition rifles and sporterized rifles i guess CONDITION IS KING is not a thing anymore for surplus firearms. Like your videos good stuff.
I'm older than dirt. I picked up 4 M1's for $500 for all 4. A M1903A3 for $150. Miss those days.
You miss a key point regarding the historic price of milsurps. Ammo! In the dark ages, before the internet, 'foreign' ammo was hard to find and expensive. Having a firearm that was difficult or expensive to feed made it less desirable. Less desirable meant less expensive.
I know this will sound foolish but it's something I would like to see.
Making these popular classics but with modern technology and modern calibers.
I was so excited when cricket made that Mosin in 22. Unfortunately it was single shot. And modern M1 carbines have been selling.
But imagine a 7.62 x 39 Mosin, or a 5.56 Enfield.
Eh no! Reproduction classics should be made as accurate as possible to the originals. But no one will really do repros cause it's expensive to make em and you can buy originals for cheaper.
Wont ever happen as the production techniques are no longer used, if it can't be 100% CNC'D u.s manufacturers either can't or won't produce it correctly. See the saga of bad American aks that is still going on
Another factor (I think you alluded to it in a previous video) is all of the very influential social media folks that talk about/promote surplus firearms. These are people who now have hundreds of thousands if not millions of followers and certainly change minds and have an influence. For instance, long ago as a teenager that was just getting interested in historic firearms, I thought Carcanos were garbage because my friend’s grandpa had one and he said it was so awful you’re better off throwing it an enemy rather than firing it. I probably would’ve gone on believing that if it weren’t for all the Ians and Othiases pointing out that Carcanos are actually pretty great.
My first ever firearm was at 20(last year) and was a yugo m48 for $500. Where do you guys go for more of these milsurps? I went through j&g sales but ive heard stories of people getting burned by spending outrageous money to get cracked stocks, canted sights, cosmoline covered turds. Anybody know good reliable sites to get them cheap and of good quality.
If they're cosmoline-covered, that usually means they're fresh out of storage and haven't been owned by half a dozen bubbas and range ninjas putting them away dirty after shooting corrosive ammo. I just stop by all the local stores occasionally, especially ones that sell stuff on consignment, and always bring a flashlight.
I quit buying milsurp almost two years ago. Cant find ammo for them, cant order ammo online (live in a US territory overseas, so cant get ammo thru mail) or reload (almost impossible to get powder, and local explosives law makes it more difficult). So, I started buying C&R guns, like Winchester, Ithaca, Savage, etc. I use them for hunting, and ammo is easy to find. Just yesterday, I received another Winchester Model 12.
Although, I've seen the value going up in those shotguns too. Last two months being more specific. A few months ago, I could buy a neat Winchester shotgun for under 200. Now its difficult to get one under 300.
Time for you to change leadership in the Islands.
Man I remember buying my first 91/30 at a small gun store in Indianapolis with the taxes included and it was $109 back in 2008. I also got an m-44 carbine from my uncle as a graduation present with all the accessories as well and he only paid $93 for it. And you got all the accessories the bayonet, sling, pouch, oiler, and the bolt takedown tool. I then bought a 440 round tin of ammo for $80. Original stripper clips for 25 cents as well. Now at gun shows they're asking $325 for the average one with no accessories, $30 for a bayonet, $30 for sling, $30 for the pouch with the goodies, $5 for stripper clips, and over $250 for the spam cans. So with all that you're almost paying $700 now! I remember you can get Lee enfields rifles for $200, the Nagant pistols for $89, M95 carbines for $109, Russian capture k98k rifles for $300-$400, correct grade M1 rifles from the CMP $999. Those were the days.
I'm 57, but I didn't even get into firearms at ALL until 2017, and milsurps until 2018. I have quite a few, but getting into the game this late means there are some I'll NEVER be able to afford...or even justify spending that much for.
What's your opinion on the Japanese Arisaka? The gun dealer near me has a shit ton of them, and they have a deal with a local ammo manufacturer that makes ammo specifically for it.
Question- if I get a Turk Mauser will it destroy my shoulder like my m48 does?
I remember well the Ammopocalypse. Used to be on the way to the range I could pick up a box of Remington 550 rounds for $25. At one point the Ammopocalypse got so bad that the only way to get plinking ammo was for me and a group of friends to go splitsies on a pallet of like 25,000 rounds direct from a manufacturer.
I really wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the gun control politicians actually have a lot of stock in the firearms industry. "Hmmm muh bank account's looking a little thin again better start talking assault weapon laws."
Our local gunshop had some 03-A3's on consignment,$1200 ,ran a scope down the bore and it was hideous,crusty rusty stuff.
"Run-away, run-away!!!!!!!!"
I think we're in the age of cheap ARs. 10 years from now we might be grumbling when we could get a PSA for 500 dollars
Ew no. Those guns won't ever be desirable unless some ban happens and even then it's just a shit ar15 in the end.
Hi Mike, actually watched the whole video, agree with a lot of the points you made and find it a shame I had to buy my mosin for 300 dollars and watched the type 38 I was looking at from the same shop jump another 50 bucks (450 total) because people started panic buying because of covid.
@Kasey Turchin Do you mean 91/30? 91 is an original uncut one, about 52 inches compared to about 48 inches for a 91/30. Much more rare. Also how could you have "almost all matching serial numbers"? I've only ever seen numbers on the receiver and on the bolt, that either match or don't. They're not like some Mausers or a Vetterli where literally every screw has a partial serial number on it.
@@cconley3315 Tula made, 1942. Full length all matching
No fuckity-bye? I feel cheated
I miss my Enfield. Great rifle but the ammo got way too expensive. So I had to sell it off.
Hey mike well I started collecting surplus a year ago because my neighbor got me into it ,telling me about the history behind the firearms which I love because I am a history nut, for the most part here in Illinois surplus is kinda a hit or miss either it’s a good price or too damn high not really an inbetween at least in my experience, I found k31s for 300, a Mosin that I bought was 150, shit I even saw a norinco 9mm clone for 100 once, but I have also seen stupid high prices also.
I found a Lee Englied Mk 4 SMLE for 230 bucks, is that worth it? Its not in perfect condition but it looks fairly great.
It's worth it if you enjoy owning it.
Like yeah, BF1 wasn't realistic, it had to sacrifice realism for gameplay, but was done in a good way (unlike BF5 lol), but BF1 kept the atmosphere and ambience of WW1, good vid tho
I'm lucky enough to have some military surplus guns handed down to me and one of them is a German kar98, Also I remember seeing a rack of mosin nagants running up for 100 bucks at my local big 5 back in 2011 early 2012 and when sandy hook and the whole "Obama is gonna take our guns" happened I never saw the rack of mosins again because they where bought up along with the tacticool guns on the rack as well
I wish Surplus was still cheaper I would love to collect some of it. I occasionally look at it and seems the guns I do become interested in are chambered in something weird and uncommon. I would love to have a Winchester M1907 but it's in 351 and that ammo seems to be hard to find.
I got a k98 ten years ago from a shop for 300 bucks. Russian capture but it’s a wz29/40 polish Radom receiver finished at the Steyr factory when Germany invaded Poland. Lord knows what it goes for today even as an RC
I has a smle collection back in the early 2000s I miss having those I paid $100 for my first one
Mainly I would have to say supply and demand, and then you have some artificially inflating the market, culture is changing where as some video games have contributed towards renewed interest in these surplus weapons. I try to stick to $500 or less purchases, and have served me well, unfortunately that keeps me out of the American surplus weapons market.
Just Bought an 1891 Argentine Mauser all matching with crest intact for $250 there's still deals out there :)
Very informative video as per usual. You have an interesting take on your opinions and as I do marketing and such I’d have to agree with you. I just started getting into surplus weaponry a few weeks ago but I’ve also been interested in them. Thanks for the video and explanation! I look forward to haggling with people lol
I'm interested to see the future of the swiss k31 k11 etc just based off the dwindling availability of 7.5x55 ammo. I know PPU is out there and gp11 comes in sometimes... but within the past few months I saw ammo go from 70cents to 1.40 to unavailable lol yes I know gp11 is on edleswiss or whatever
There is no Future. Tiny nation. Tiny supply.
@@WALTERBROADDUS They produced GP11 until recently, so there will be more imported.
Yeah, I think you hit it about right on the nose here, especially about 2012. I'd started watching the market a year earlier, and continued to do so until I was 17 and getting my first milsurp, an SMLE. But by then, and especially by when I turned 18 in 2018, I realized the market was dead. Deals can still be had, I got an 80 dollar Mosin in '18, a 60 dollar sporterized Lebel in '19, and a 200 dollar Colt Walker or period iron frame copy just the other day, but it's just not the same. As others have stated though, there still might be hope in Africa and the Middle East for surplus imports. Your thoughts on that?
You guys have it nice, in OZ my K31cost me $928 USD including the permit to buy it. I bought it that night, the other K31 that store had come in in the same time was also gone the day after I bought mine. My Finish Mosin Cost $705 USD. Can't imagine how much you guys would cry if you had to pay our prices.
Yeah yeah....another gun-less aussie comparing the U.S to a socialist paradise......not original, very trite.
You got ripped off I got my k31 for 495 looking crisp haha
I went out and purchased my SKS ans Mosin partly due to rising storm 1/2 and red orchestra 2. I have always been fascinated by mil sur since I can remember, fond memeroies of touring battlefields and museums in Germany and czechia with my dad
People panic buy because they are afraid if they wait they will not be able to get what they want or the price of what they want will go up significantly. I didn’t buy 12 ga trap ammo ($6.99 for 25 shells) at the start of the pandemic because I had some and it seemed to be in stock. It now goes for $15.99 when I can find it and mostly can’t. I am not recommending hoarding but if you want an AR or AK and you wait until restrictions are passed or even proposed the price is likely to skyrocket assuming there are any left on in stock.
As recently as 2 years ago I could still find a decent #4 or #3 Enfield for $200-250. Now $400 and up is the norm. Same goes for Mosin Nagants though the basic 91/30 can still be found for $300
Personally, what would be the most you be willing to pay for a mosin nagant m38 or m44 today?
Not what most people are asking.....
All I know is that I started buying military surplus rifles when I was 18 in 1986 and I hate where the prices are going
I got a couple of Mosin Nagants for $80. Now I see them going for $300+. Keep up with the videos.+++
Thanks for making the video I really enjoyed it 😊
I miss my $500 SVT40 :( anyway still hanging on to my Tula 91/30
I started getting into surplus two years ago. Had to many ARs and got boring.
We are long past the era of significant historical military surplus inventory being put on the market. Modern "surplus" is not importable into the U.S.
The barrel ban really fucked us on good parts kits, now because it's cheaper to dump old select fire guns into the ocean than demil them to the alphabet agencies autistic specifications, European and Asian countries do just that, we went from saw cut receivers to reciver parts not even being present along with barrels being torched all because bush jr didn't want cheap "machine gun" parts on the market
slav phil not to mention the retarded bans on specific guns. The Bushes were absolutely atrocious on this, like banning the FAL by name. Neocon bastards
I never got to truly enjoy the golden age, I got into C&R guns in 2015-2016 when $500 a pop is the norm.
I have always been around firearms because of my dad , learned to deer hunt at a early age . So in my early years I did buy a Tech9 & a Sks before the first assault weapons ban . Though I did have a chance to buy a Ljungman , at a good price ,way back then , I now wish I had done do . What really started me looking at milsurp rifles was my Mitchell Mauser 8 mm rifle I bought . As you said the internet / You-tube has given me a lot of access & info into the milsurp world . I really like the look of these rifles , learning he history of them & possibly where they were used . Do I have all I want , no , but have to save money to buy the next one , I try to have a cost limit on what I am willing to pay
You forgot about the guys who think they’re gonna turn into Vasily Zaitsev when the boogaloo kicks off
If anything I think it’s a good thing. Because of video games like battlefield one it made the younger generation interested in firearms and more appreciative of their historic value. If anything this works in favor for people that already got their collection together before the prices skyrocketed. Now they could re sell them and make a profit.
I always wanted to get into collecting in the 90's and 2000's, but I was paycheck to paycheck, working shitty jobs. I finally came into a decent job where I payed off my debts in 2013. By the time I started to have a surplus of income, it was 2015. I have a decent collection now. My collection would be 3-4 times what I have if I could have started back in the fabled "golden years".
Mosin nagant is like 400 cad nowadays and a mossberg patriot predicator is 500 cad. 98k is 1k cad and kel tec rdb is like 1k cad. Now it is hard to justify buying surplus in Canada
....I may have bought a No1Mk3* because of BF1
I like having mil-surp guns in odd calibers. It's easy to get ammo when everyone is panic buying all the common calibers. This year's panic buying was the worst I've seen and I could still get everything I needed.
Trust me, this was nowhere NEAR 2012/2013 panic buying. EVERYTHING was gone for months/years.
@@MikeB128 I was in college at the time, and didn't own any guns, so I didn't notice. I bought my first gun in 2017, but I did cowboy action shooting during my childhood. We reloaded 45 LC so we had enough supplies.
Well it happened in the 80’s, post Dirty Harry those wheel guns were in high demand, difference like you pointed out is, surplus isn’t rolling off the assembly line anymore. Since the source of those WW2 weapons has dried up I guess we should focus on new surplus (if that exists) stuff that modernizing military and civilian police forces are cycling out of use.
Got a Lee Enfield No.4 recently for $399.99 in damn nice condition. Hadn't had a chance to shoot the thing yet though :/
Yep, and as long as people like you keep paying those super premium prices, they will never be affordable.
@@MikeB128 XD
Mike B
But do you see people quitting paying those prices any time soon? I don’t. I agree with you but I think it’ll never happen. All that will happen is a select few number of people will refuse to pay high prices but it won’t be enough to matter. Then those people who stopped paying high prices will never see prices go down and in the end have to pay more than if they would of just went ahead and bought the gun while they had the chance. Like you said, the glory days of milsurps are over and they probably will never be back.
One thing that I've noticed is that milenials and gen z like to collect "retro" stuff. We all went over to Grandma's house and watched Antiques Road Show, and now it's instilled in our brains.
Jesus Christ I've had the same opinions since the longest time...
In the late 90's, Mosins and 303's were $59.00 and $65.00.
I really wanna buy a mosin but I cant find one anywhere
You aren’t looking hard enough.
@@DennisKroh I see what you did there Dennis 😁 I recommended you on previous videos but they were removed by TH-cam for "reasons".
Gunbroker
I bought my first Kar98k because of PUBG a couple years ago. That has sparked a love of milsurps. I only own a few, but man, it is damn fun to learn history, development and variations of these weapons. Just purchased a No4 and No1 enfield this past week too. I have grown to appreciate these relics. Increasing prices are frustrating, but definitely makes the researching and saving part of things much more fun. Fewer impulse buys when you research and know what you want.
The first mil-surp weapon I ever wanted to buy as I was in school was an SKS, not from any movie or video game but because my stepdad was going through his gun safe to clean his rifles and I got to hold it
To me it just looked cool as shit and I wanted on, now I own a nerinco paratrooper model
Meanwhile I feel lucky getting tokarev copies and carcanos for 220-260 bucks
Anyone think once surplus ammo dries up we'll get more comapnies making making these, at least in the us, obscure cartridges?
Probably not the more obscure ones, I was shocked and happy when hornady started selling brass cased 5.45x39mm even though cheap steel imported ammo for it is everywhere
If only the military was not limited to selling their surplus guns to just police departments (because of the 1986 Hughes ammendment) now.
I want to get an AR because they're cheap now but I live in commiefornia and it'd hurt my soul every time I looked at that neutered FUBAR, might get a Browning A5 if I find one for cheap, thanks for the video, helps me get an idea of the market
I’ve been trying to buy a Quake2 railgun since 1999 and they just can’t be found. Because hoarders.
Lol you think 2008 was a panic. 2020 be like “hold my beer”
This was NOTHING compared to 2012/13.
Families may be able to research stuff but then there will always be my buddy who bought a G-43 without a mag for 200 bucks like a year ago because he "didn't believe in having guns in the house"
9:18 “even if he was carried out, you have time before it is passed”. *looks at Canada*
The U.S. is far greater than Canada at that sort of shit. Not even a comparison between the two.
I don’t own any more surplus arms for this reason. Ammo, parts, and just about any Mauser related shot up so much in price to the point I couldn’t afford it anymore. Now I mostly own shotguns because I can still find parts for the shotguns I like and they’re still fun..................well for now.
Came for the guns, stayed for the choice insults.
just curious 21 year old here was the panic buying of weapons/ ammunition in 2012 worse than the current covid panic buys
It was worse. I actually had to drop out of the shooting hobby because I couldn't find ammo. No powder, primers, you couldn't even find 22LR. The last few months, I've still been able to find everything I needed other than 12g buck shot. Possibly because stores have set limits, but those limits have been reasonable for the casual shooter, self defense owner, and basically everybody who isn't trying to fill up their boogaloo bunker.
4:53 - I have an alternate take. While I don't disagree with what you said, Obama had enough political capital that he could have gutted the 2A, but whatever else you want to say about him, Obama understood that he only had so much "stroke" and he opted to pursue other agendas. No one knew this at the time however. I don't like panic buying either, but I don't think it's fair to blame lifelong gun owners. I didn't buy very much in 2008-2013 at all, I bought three guns that whole time, all revolvers and two were single action. I think most of the panic buyers were prospective gun owners who thought that might be their last chance.
I bought a lot of "tactical" shit... in 2019. I did it because I realized the market was at a historic low and it was the time to buy AR-15s, Glock magazines, etc. I went hard and bought things I'd been wanting to get for like 10 years. Here in 2020 I'm feeling pretty smug. I have bought stuff this year but it was mostly deeply discounted accessories and when I find decent ammo prices in the midst of an unfriendly market. I did get an Extar EP-9 this year, but that's just because I finally got the opportunity!
Somehow people seem to think the president is a king.......he doesn't have as much power as people think....
@@MikeB128 I do agree, but the POTUS can rally the government a certain way is my point.
Mike B true, but he does have a decent amount of influence in establishing a party platform and molding policy agenda. However i think the point you made about a lot of people being mad about sandy hook was where some of the real scare came from. Sandy hook was the beginning of a new era in my opinion, and it was all still pretty new to everyone at the time. (Less columbine and v tech) There was enough pressure on the legislature that im sure some people thought that a gun control bill could have garnered bipartisan support. But then again, this is all speculation. It was a weird time.
When I can buy modern firearms at the same price or cheaper and in better condition, then the mil-surp scene to me is over. It is a collector thing now and that's ok.
Probably the Battlefield serious say goodbye to the krag rifles next.
Excellent video have a great day.
Because people are realizing the quality of gunsmiths has declined substantially and are tired of paying $1500 for say an M1A and it turns out to be garbage
They dont make em like they used to
@@residentevil5fan18 it's a cast receiver replica of a m14 which already had tons of other problems get a ptr or a reputable ar-10 for a decent .308 semi auto
I disagree in your set price idea. You just state it as if it is fact without giving sound logic to support it, you say it is set because it is set. All the Boomers will not die at the same time would be a better reason, but still is not sufficient to keep prices set. Futher more prices are never set. As you said Mosins were $65 then jumped up and have declined a bit now. They will not be $65 again but are unlikely to be $500 either. It is an Ok, but rather crude rifle of great supply and little use as compared to modern bolt actions.
You sound intelligent......You are also putting words in my mouth...
@@MikeB128 I am just saying that prices do fluctuate, guns that are lesser quality and were made by the millions may settle to a a much lower price than it had been bid up to at one point. There is no set price, the price is what ever someone is willing to pay. You do make a lot of good points.
@@samcleaver3315 Made in the Millions, but no longer Imported. Europe and the Americas have no more to dump.
Your neutral anger got my sub
we all got 1200 to spend everything is going up!
Mike I talk to my uncle all the time and he tells me I missed the golden age of gunshows. Now looking online, even websites like AIM surplus or RTI don’t really have the best collection of anything. Finding good surplus is hard, and hunting for deals is really time consuming. Hoping to add some more German and Russian surplus to my collection, but everything German is so goddamn expensive because of people who associate everything German is nazi. I can’t stand people like that
The supply dried up circa 2007, but the demand increased. QED.
I hate being born after 2000, I fucking missed the best era of the hobby, I love the history of the guns. It pisses me off that I just missed it. Guess I should get another hobby.
SKS's were 90 dollars a piece but you had to buy 10 of them in the 1990s.
Wished I had bought them then.
If you do own one of these or several and you are collector.
Get a couple of parts kits and a good amount of ammo and store it properly.
In twenty or so years most of these weapons will be close to 100 years old.
Each day they will get rarer and rarer. As they do the price will go up.
Firearms are one of the few things that consistently increase in value.
Even if the ammo goes bad. The brass will be worth quite a bit.
Many things that were made a 100 years ago the brass is no longer available.
Look at how much trouble people go through to get discontinued brass.
This gave me an idea, you should do a video on the subject of movies that caused firearms to have cult followings. Like the movie True Lies with the Ruger P90.
You should rock that video out.
Nice idea, wrong gun and film. Dirty Harry and the S&W 29 is classic example. James Bond and the Walther guns is another.
Anyone who thinks video games don’t inspire collectors is lying to themselves. Video games are a very wide reaching medium and they inspire people of all kinds to get into all varieties of hobbies. I can attest to the fact that my first firearm was a Mosin Nagant M44 specifically because I loved using one in COD as a child. My first handgun was a VZ.61 for the exact same reason. I’ve moved beyond that motivating factor now, but it was a large contributor to my entrance into the firearms community and still has minor influences; I just recently purchased a C96 Mauser in 9mm due to the nostalgia.
I remember when mosin nagants were $87.00 in 2011. The gun crisis was a serious thing considering we are the only country that has these wonderful rights.
Heyo, great video as always!! Nice to hear a fact based opinion on this 'issue'
Pickled Rawbones it could be for me, i’m only 17 and want to grab something good while i can 👉🏻👈🏻
Thank God I got my Mosin cheap, and inherited the expensive Springfield! No excuse for that rifle to be a 1000 dollar rifle. There are oddballs on the market though that are untouched, like the Spanish Mauser M1916. Those can be had for 200 bucks in great condition still.
Quality drives price. Springfield's are better rifles, thus worth more.
Excellent job, Mike! My only critique is you talk too fast and interject too much unnecessary profanity, but you do make many valid points.
It is what it is. I've had a potty mouth since I was a kid, and I make 100% sure that TH-cam can't construe my videos as being "made for kids" so I don't get fined.
@@MikeB128 I hadn't considered the "made for kids" angle, and the way I talk would easily make any sailor blush (I blame the Army and my stint in the music business for that). As for the speed of your banter, I was only considering the many folks for whom English is not their native language that try to watch your videos but get lost due to your rapid-fire approach.
@@DennisKroh So far I don't believe it's been a problem for non-native speakers, or at least they haven't expressed that it's too fast. If I talk slower, people will bitch that the video is too long and boring, I just can't win lol.
@@MikeB128 Actually this video was brought to my attention by a customer originally from Germany, and he was asking for a translation. ;)
Is it possible you could add close-captioning?
Just spit-balling here, I agree with your messages.
I have had a C&R license since 1972 and have seen a MASSIVE change in the milsurp marketplace since then. I am ABSOLUTELY NOT in favor of higher prices, as that simply means I have to pay more to acquire material to offer to our customers. Of course we sell individually-described items (rather than the "grab one off the pile" attitude of most of our colleagues) and our grading is considered conservative (the item received is ALWAYS better than described). We also have close to ZERO returns or complaints, despite the tendency to bitch about everything these days.
99.5% of everything we buy nowadays is from long-time collectors, and estates of same (nobody wants to think they are not going to wake up one day) so we routinely acquire and offer for sale items that have not been available in the marketplace for many years.
I considered retiring (for the third time) five years ago, but my new wife Deborah wants us to keep doing this until I don't wake up one of these days, so that is where we are at.
@@DennisKroh Interesting. And yeah, I got one of my prized possessions form you. It was that 1886/93 that someone marred the shit out of the barrel trying to get it off. I also recommend you whenever I can, but TH-cam removed those videos because they're morons. Glad I've got another lurker. Feel free to advertise and direct people to your site on the comments. I've known about you for a long time and have never heard complaints against Empire Arms. You don't gouge, and you're honest so yeah, it sucks with the current state of surplus, but at least there are still cool things popping up every now and then.
In Norway K98's are like 70-90 dollars
Cool, how much are FALs, Ar-15s, and G3s? Oh wait......
@@MikeB128 Sorry i tried to stay on topic
Unfortunately they cannot be exported from Norway to anywhere else (I’ve tried).
And they were all rechambered to .30-06.
Great video keep up good work